Chapter Thirty-Four: Lady Blackleif's Crisis

Now that the misunderstanding was resolved, Anhe led Sayu Amamiya out of the apartment building and once again took a car toward the café where they worked.

Along the way, he remained somewhat withdrawn, while Sayu Amamiya, who sat beside him with a calm expression, would occasionally let out a soft laugh.

It was the first time Anhe had heard her laugh, but the joys and sorrows between people are never quite the same; at this moment, he found her laughter particularly grating.

At last, the car came to a stop at the roadside in front of the maid café.

Stepping out and glancing at his wallet, which had become even thinner, Anhe was once again resolved to buy a car tomorrow.

Suddenly, Sayu Amamiya tugged at his sleeve and pointed toward the café not far away.

Curious, Anhe looked over to see a crowd gathered densely at the entrance of the café.

Did something happen?

Perplexed, Anhe led Sayu Amamiya closer, though they did not attempt to enter directly. Instead, they lingered on the outskirts and began asking around.

“Excuse me, sir, do you know what happened inside?” Anhe approached a middle-aged man in his thirties, dressed like a white-collar worker. The man glanced back at Anhe and replied offhandedly, “I’m not too sure, but I heard something about gangsters causing trouble.”

With that, he turned his attention back to the crowd, craning his neck to get a better look.

Gangsters causing trouble?

Anhe’s brow furrowed. Surveying the growing crowd, he decided to lead Sayu Amamiya to a narrow alley beside the café.

That was where the back door was.

“Aren’t we going to work?” Sayu Amamiya asked softly from behind, reluctant to give up the job that paid so well.

Hearing the disappointment in her voice, Anhe squeezed her little hand, turned back, and winked, smiling lightly, “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

Soon, the two reached the depths of the alley.

Letting go of Sayu Amamiya’s hand, Anhe took his phone from his pocket and dialed a number.

It wasn’t long before the call was answered, the background a little noisy, but a woman’s voice came through.

“Hello, this is Aoyama Maid Café. Who is this?”

“This is Anhe Yusheng, Mrs. Sato, the card you gave me last time.”

He greeted her, and upon hearing his words, the voice on the other end grew softer.

“Oh, it’s Yusheng-kun. Is Sayu-chan with you?”

Anhe glanced at Sayu Amamiya by his side and replied, “She’s with me.”

“Ah, that’s good.”

Sato Haruki audibly relaxed, then seemed to suddenly remember something and hurriedly added, “Right, Yusheng-kun, there’s been some trouble at the café today, so you two don’t need to come in for work.”

“Is it because of gangsters?” Anhe asked curiously. Sato Haruki paused for a moment, then gave a wry laugh. “So you’re already here. Yes, some gang members showed up this afternoon looking for Shiko Kurai. Apparently her late husband owed a lot of money, and the repayment deadline is due. Since Shiko doesn’t have enough to pay, the gang is now trying to take her away.”

So that’s it.

Anhe understood immediately, recalling the first time he met Shiko Kurai at the café and the conditions for the fourth ending displayed by the light screen.

[Help her repay all her debts.]

It seemed she owed quite a lot.

Anhe sighed inwardly, but Sayu Amamiya suddenly interjected.

“Did they take Mrs. Kurai away?”

Her voice was tinged with urgency, clearly concerned for the woman who had once helped her.

Sato Haruki heard Sayu’s question and chuckled gently, explaining, “Of course not, don’t worry. The police are mediating between both sides, and I’m sure it’ll be resolved soon.”

[Resolved? You secretly sneer at the naive thoughts of the woman on the phone. If things could really be resolved, why would it drag on so long? It’s nothing but both sides putting on a show.]

Wow, impressive, Narrator!

Listening to the narrator’s analysis in his mind, Anhe was deeply shaken.

It was the first time he’d heard such biting sarcasm from the narrator. To be honest, today’s narrator was quite in tune with his own thoughts.

[Exactly. Since Shiko Kurai is tied up right now, her daughter must still be waiting at the school gate. As her neighbor, it’s perfectly reasonable for you to pick up Sakuri from school. Then, once you bring little Sakuri into your home, lock the door, peel off her clothes, and then—]

…

Sorry, I shouldn’t have expected anything from this dog of a narrator.

Anhe silently withdrew his earlier praise, but outwardly, he asked the woman on the phone, “Mrs. Sato, could someone open the back door for me? I need to speak with Mrs. Kurai face-to-face.”

“Of course.”

Sato Haruki agreed readily.

After hanging up, it wasn’t long before a nearby iron door opened. A maid with cat-ear headband peeked out, and upon seeing Anhe and Sayu, her face lit up. She waved them over, whispering, “This way!”

Seeing this, Anhe took Sayu Amamiya’s hand and jogged over. “Thank you, Miss Maruko.”

“Don’t mention it, come in quickly.”

The maid called Maruko stepped aside. Once both had entered, she closed the door again.

“Thank you,” Anhe said sincerely, and Sayu Amamiya offered a slight bow.

Maruko waved it off, pointing toward the main hall. “The manager and Miss Kurai are both in the hall. If you want to see them, just go ahead.”

“Alright.”

Anhe nodded, told Sayu Amamiya to wait here, then walked toward the hall.

He hadn’t yet entered when an angry female voice rang out.

“How can you let this happen? Can’t you see these people mean harm?”

It was Sato Haruki.

Recognizing her voice, Anhe stopped, standing just out of sight behind the corner of the hall.

He decided to observe the situation a bit longer.

Peeking around, he saw several police officers shake their heads helplessly as they headed toward the entrance.

Behind them, Sato Haruki was lashing out furiously. If the maids weren’t holding her back, she’d probably have thrown herself at the police.

Beside her stood a familiar figure—Shiko Kurai.

At that moment, she hung her head, hair in disarray, one arm hugging the other across her chest. Her clothes bore some stains, and she looked thoroughly bedraggled.

Anhe’s gaze lingered on Shiko Kurai for a moment, then shifted to the group of strangers opposite her.

Floral shirts, jeans, and garishly colored hair…

He couldn’t help but recall the group he’d encountered at the apartment entrance earlier.

But unlike that bunch, these men seemed far more menacing—a fact made clear by the overturned tables and chairs around them.

This was how villains should behave.

Anhe couldn’t help but admire them internally.

Just as he was thinking, the situation in the hall shifted again.

Seeing that the police were unable to resolve things, Shiko Kurai finally raised her head. Though tear-streaked, her gaze was calm.

She first bowed deeply to Sato Haruki, speaking softly, “Thank you so much for your help, Miss Sato. Please don’t trouble yourself any further. I will compensate for the losses caused today in the future.”

With that, she bowed again, then, without waiting for Sato Haruki’s reaction, turned to the gang members, pursing her lips and asked quietly, “If I go with you, will you let my daughter go?”

The leader of the gangsters raised his brows, hurriedly denying, “Ma’am, don’t say that. You’re the one who owes the debt. We’ll only deal with you. As for your daughter in Class 3A at Sunny Elementary, we won’t bother her.”

Hearing this, Shiko Kurai gave a bitter laugh and nodded, showing she understood.

From his vantage point, Anhe watched the scene unfold, and found himself in deep deliberation.

To help, or not to help?